A Life for a Life

[Anonymous]

For a time Artemis stood leaning upon her staff to support herself. Her mind had since recovered from the psychic showdoswn. She had used close to her full power to try tro quell the man, however failing her mind needed somtime to recover. The strange samurai had surrounded the two men with fire, they were out of sight yet Atremis could feel that the Monster, the time there minds were connected revealed him to be Jocan, had been hurt yet unphased. The elven maid had since walked over and touched Artemis awakening herself from the trance her mind had a habit of falling into. She smiled towards her and spoke outloud.

"Please find strength in me, but do not run... all things have a weakness. He wants us to fear him, he can feed off it. I am not certain, but if I am right our fear is only making him stronger." Her words were light.

She peered through the fire trying to make out what was going on between the men. As she did so, she let a portion of her mind help regain Aithne's power the maiden's mind felt exhausted a feeling that Artemis hadn't experienced since she was very young.

As the fight continued and the flames died out, Artemis gazed upon the men her fear was gone she pitied the monster and that feeling only grew with each second. A man with no heart was a poor soul indeed, Artemis wondered if Jocan even had a soul or if he was simply darkness personified. She held back a small chuckle as that thought crossed her mind, remembering hte intense light he was born from.

[Goldie]

Jocan could feel the power swelling in the ruby on the sword and his nose twitched as his senses tried to work out just what Rhien would do next.  He could smell the man's fear and it made his heart leap with glee.  Fear meant mistakes, fear meant that he had the upper hand, for he had felt no emotions besides cruelty in the long length of his life.  Even when he had nearly been killed so many years before....killed in blood, only to be reborn by it.

Funny how the world worked that way.

But as much as he could sense the mans fear, sense the magic swelling in that stone....a word of caution entered his mind.  He could not tell what the magic was...he could not place a name with the strange glow that was shining from the blade.

If he could not name it...he did not know the damage it caused.

And for the first time he could remember, he fled.

With a powerful leap that made it look as if he started soaring into the sky, Jocan disappeared into the woods, landing a mile away with a soft *thud* on the soft foliage of the forest floor.

[Anonymous]

Artemis watched the two men battle, a strong unnatural wind blew through her auburn hair. A swelling of power grew inside the sword held by Rhien. She glanced towards the elf and smiled hoping that enough of Artemis's energy had rejuvinated the elf's power and mind. As she glanced back to the men, she found only the samurai and felt the dark pressence travel deeper into the forest. Perhaps the three strangers were lucky, but Artemis was not happy about the trio's apparent safety. She could only wonder where the beast was heading and hope that it did not harm anyone while tring to quench the demons bloodlust. She would of much rathered that the beast continue to attack them three competent warriors who may have been able to quell the evil man. She moved from the elfs touch towards the man who had taken the main assualt on Jocan, she layed a gentle hand upon his shoulder and began to help him regain his strength and rest his mind as she had done for the other maiden. As she did so she spoke to him in her sweet sounding voice

"Thank you for your help noble sir, I am Artemis Skychaser, and I am pleased to be in your company."

She smiled at him briefly then closed her eyes and focused on her rejuvanation skill.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Really sorry for delaying you guys for so long, RL issues have been pressing me down for awhile)

The creature fled from his sight as Rhien charged the ruby in his hilt, though Rhien had no doubt that it was out of fear.  He removed his hand from the hilt and let the crimson glow fade away before sheating his katana.  He let out a soft sigh as he relaxed, his body a little exhausted from the magics that he'd put to work.  He tesned up again when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but the touch was soft, gentle.  He turned to meet the eyes of a woman, the one who'd nearly fainted earlier.  Up close, he noted that her eyes were almost identical color in his, only lighter, and the red hair to her shoulders completed the look of a beautiful woman.  "Thank you for your help noble sir, I am Artemis Skychaser, and I am pleased to be in your company." she said to him, a smile forming on her lips.  Rhien grinned back at her and nodded politely to her, "It was no trouble, miss."  A puzzled expression crossed his face when she closed her eyes, but when he felt a power within him, seeming to replenish his lost strength and wiping away his fatigue, he realized that she must be healing him.

Deciding to leave her be for the moment, he turned his attention to the elven woman who had summoned the wind magic.  "Are you alright, milady?  That whirlwind surely must have taken a lot out of you."